My neighbor told me my brisket looked like a meteorite and I can't unsee it

I was pretty proud of this 14 pound packer I smoked last weekend, nice dark bark and all. My neighbor Frank, who's been doing this for like 30 years, walks over, squints at it, and goes 'Son, that looks like something that wiped out the dinosaurs.' He wasn't wrong, it was way too black and crusty. He said I was running my offset way too hot, probably over 300 degrees, and chasing color instead of tenderness. So this week I kept it steady at 250, wrapped in butcher paper when it hit 175 internal, and the difference was crazy. The bark was still there but it wasn't a charcoal brick. Has anyone else had a piece of criticism that just clicked and fixed a whole process for you?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_riley3mo ago

My first brisket came out looking like a lump of asphalt. I was convinced the blacker the better. Then my uncle, who runs a small joint in Lockhart, just shook his head and asked if I was trying to make jerky. He showed me his method of keeping the smoke thin and blue, not billowing white. It was a total shift from trying to overpower it to just letting it happen.

hunt.hayden3mo ago

Thin blue smoke is the real deal, took me a few cooks to stop worrying it wasn't enough. @jennyfisher is right about the patience, you gotta let the wood do its thing slow and steady. That shift from forcing it to guiding it makes all the difference.

jennyfisher3mo ago

That Lockhart uncle had the right idea. How long did it take you to trust the thin blue smoke method over the big white clouds? Sounds like a patience game.

adam4146d ago

Toss that packer in a cooler wrapped in towels for at least an hour after you pull it off the smoker, that rest is where the magic happens. I used to slice mine right away and wondered why it was tough and dry. Got the temp control down like you did, the butcher paper wrap at 175, but then I'd rush the rest. Letting it sit for a full 90 minutes changed everything, the jiggly texture and the juices staying put instead of pooling on the cutting board. Try it next time and you'll ditch the meteorite look for good.